After dropping Joanna off at her lovely apartment, we pull up in front of a large gated house, where Gonzalo says, “This is you!” My host mother greeted us at the gate and gave me a kiss on the cheek – what a warm welcome! She seemed about my mother’s age and my first impression was that she could have been the mother of any one of my friends back home.
Once inside, I immediately noticed that they have the same area rug that Peter’s parents have in their living room back home in Long Island –haha!! I took this as a good sign and immediately felt a sense of home – yes, all because of that green rug (I'll try to sneak a pic of it at some point)!
As Gonzalo and Senora (as I call her) exchanged some pleasantries, I looked around at my home for the next month and was impressed by how nice it was! I told Senora about my little ordeal at the airport, so she fed me some coco te (the local remedy for altitude sickness) and panitos (little breads), then took me up to my room and told me to sleep because “No se puede dormir en el avion! Es impossible!”
My bedroom is on the top floor of the house. I have a twin bed, a nice big window, a desk, and a wooden armoir all to myself. I share the floor with the family’s 16 year old son. His bedroom is next to the bathroom and across the living area from my room.
After settling in, I feel comfortable here, but I am still trying to figure out proper homestay etiquette. I want to engage the family and learn from them, but I also do not want to seem intrusive – after all, this is their home, which they have kindly opened up to me and other students. Yet, on the other hand, while giving them privacy, I also do not want to seem standoffish or aloof. So this will be a learning process …
My bedroom is on the top floor of the house. I have a twin bed, a nice big window, a desk, and a wooden armoir all to myself. I share the floor with the family’s 16 year old son. His bedroom is next to the bathroom and across the living area from my room.
After settling in, I feel comfortable here, but I am still trying to figure out proper homestay etiquette. I want to engage the family and learn from them, but I also do not want to seem intrusive – after all, this is their home, which they have kindly opened up to me and other students. Yet, on the other hand, while giving them privacy, I also do not want to seem standoffish or aloof. So this will be a learning process …
lol, the green rug :)
ReplyDelete